Unbroken: Fall of the Universe

Chapter One

The clone bolted awake, panting for breath. His green eyes flashed around the room frantically. He was on a cool, metal operating table. He felt, he felt...

Nothing.

He paused. He could have sworn there was one point where there had been something in his heart. Something, but what? A sensation?

The heart is a vital organ for survival. Nothing more. 

He looked down, and saw himself dressed in a white Horde uniform. His hood was off, revealing his once blue hair had been bleached white, like everyone else.

Something was off. It felt like something had been wrong before, but now it had been fixed. When he tried to remember, he was met with a wall of darkness and dead ends.

"Welcome, brother."

The clone whipped around to see two others. Both wore crisp hooded uniforms which fell over their perfectly combed back hair. Their uniforms bore the Horde symbol. Their green eyes were vacant, staring off into nothing. When they spoke, it was in unison.

"We are one," they announced telepathically.

Hordak's heart quickened. He'd been reconnected to the Hivemind.

"We are of service to Horde Prime, emperor of the universe, lord of the seven skies, master of the..."

Hordak shook their voices away. Alright, alright, I understand.

The other brothers shared a look. There was no expression, but the reconditioned one could tell that something was amiss.

"My lord," one of them spoke into the beyond. Despite the fact that it was telepathic, Hordak could tell he was speaking to afar. "We appear to have a situation at hand."

A situation you say?

Hordak shuttered. The telepathic voice of Prime sent shivers down his back. That only seemed to make matters worse. The icy sound reverberated around his brain. Why did he fear Horde Prime?

Horde Prime! Ruler of the known cosmos, lord of...

The clone shut down the train of praises toward the lord.

One of the brother's gasped. He convulsed and shuttered. Hordak reeled away, disturbed by the sight. Horror sent goosebumps along his skin, a sensation.

The spasm was over as soon as it started. The fellow clone straightened up and opened his eyes. Glowing white pupils rolled from the back of his skull into view. When the clone opened his mouth, it was not a clone's voice that spoke.

"Little brother," Horde Prime oozed. The vessel smiled eerily. "Why do you refuse? I offer you peace, and yet," he folded his hands together, "you resist. What is so important that makes you question your destiny?"

My destiny? Hordak thought. Lord Prime, I do not understand.

You are of service to Horde Prime, the voice now crept through his head. Why do you hang onto the memories and emotions you once had? Allow me to free you from the burden of thought. I already freed you from your former defectiveness.

"Please," the vessel gestured toward the floor. "Take a few steps. See what I have done for you."

Hordak suddenly remembered why he'd felt off earlier. Horde Prime had turned off his defectiveness.  Hordak himself could not remember anything before this point, but he believed Prime. He... fixed me.  For real this time.

Gingerly, Hordak slipped off of the table. He put his foot on the ground, then continued to slowly apply pressure. When it didn't give out, he tried the other one. Before he knew it, he was standing. It was too good to be true. 

Horde Prime! Savior of this clone's very...

Hordak smashed out the praise. They were really getting annoying.

The possessed clone made a face. A disappointed one.

"And now," Horde Prime returned to smiling, "you are perfect."

Perfect.

Hordak stumbled back into the table. The wall of darkness concealing his old memories from him shattered. He gasped as his inner eye was flooded with visions of the past.

The non-vessel clone, held his head in his hands. He groaned. The sudden dam burst inside Hordak's mind had spilled over into him. Hiveminds did that sort of thing, and Horde Prime's clones were not equipped for such mental activity.

Perfect, perfect, perfect, Hordak's mind screamed. The flashes were so fast he could barely comprehend them. Why can't anything be imperfect?

Imperfect...

The visions slowed to a halt. One memory blared behind his eyes, and he watched. A magenta-eyed girl flashed him a beautiful smile. Her lilac-colored hair rested on his shoulder, comforting him.

Entrapta. His mind remembered her name. What Hordak didn't remember was that she was dead.

Horde Prime's clone bared his teeth. This is not how this day was supposed to go.

She was the only one who saw how imperfection was... beautiful, he remembered. She's the only one who really saw who I was.

Without thinking, Hordak lunged at the possessed clone. He gasped as the reconditioned clone fell on top of him, landing hard blows with his new strength.

"Where's Entrapta?" Hordak cried. "What did you do to me?"

"He's psycho!" the other clone telepathically called. "Knock him out once more!"

The white pupils glared at Hordak. Why didn't the reconditioning work? You were supposed to forget! Be born anew!

The other clone threw Hordak off. He slammed into the table, but he wasn't about to give up so easily.

Hordak's thoughts spat, I do not wish to be reborn!

He flung himself back at the possessed one. Anger burned in his soul, yet another sensation which was supposed to have been erased.

Before he could get to him, the second brother had sneaked up from behind. He strangled Hordak into restraint. No matter how much the reconditioned clone struggled, the brother had a firm grip. Then without hesitation, he karate chopped a hand into the keyhole in the back of Hordak's neck.

"No!" Hordak screamed. Darkness consumed his vision, then he hung limp.

The possessed clone raised himself from the ground. Bruises swelled under his eyes and on his forehead. Horde Prime could not feel the pain of the creatures he possessed, but when his consciousness left this body, the clone certainly would.

Horde Prime glared at the unconscious brother. Beyond the hatred, there was something else.

Why didn't it work? Horde Prime demanded. Why did he remember?

"I don't know, my lord," the clone promised. "We even got rid of his defectiveness so that he wouldn't."

Well recondition him again, Prime seethed. And do it right this time!